Falling - A FrostIron Oneshot
by itsmephoenix
Summary: An alternate ending to Avengers (Assemble) when Tony flew the nuke into the wormhole. Cover is not my art but I did edit it. This is on wattpad under the same title/username, so please tell me if (this is unlikely) you see it anywhere else.


_My first Marvel fanfiction, I hope you enjoy. This is an alternate ending to Avengers_ _Assemble inspired by a Tumblr post. If I owned Marvel, there would be a Black Widow movie already. What do you_ _think_ _?_

* * *

Flying.

It's a beautiful sensation. The wind blowing past you, free to move anywhere you want, no one to slow you down or stop you. But watching a nuke come in to blow the city to bits? Kinda ruins the feeling.

 _"_ _I can close it! Can anybody hear me? I_ _can shut the portal down!"_ Tasha's voice rang over the coms, unusually loudly.

 _"Do it!"_

"No, wait!" Tony closed his eyes momentarily as he heard Cap argue back.

 _"Stark, these things are still coming!"_

"I got a nuke coming in, it's going to blow in less than a minute. And I know _just_ where to put it."

He could see the power in his suit starting to decrease as he sped up to grab the explosive. Tony pulled it so that it started flying upwards rather than sideways. There was silence over the coms as Steve comprehended what he had just said.

 _"Stark, you know that's a one-way trip?"_

 _Of course he knew. But there was no other way to do this._ Tony closed the line.

"Save the rest for the return, J."

 _"Sir, shall I call Miss Potts?"_

"You might as well." She wasn't going to pick up, he knew that for a fact. He was going to face this alone. As the gradient of his flight increased, he could feel the suit (and his arms) straining to carry on. It sure as hell was painful. The dial tone rang out, and he sighed. He opened the lines again to a jumbled chorus of ' _Stark_ ', _'Tony'_ and _'Stop!'._ He couldn't, not now, couldn't they see? He probably wouldn't come back, but what the hell? May as well do _something_ while he had some time left.

No, that didn't mean he would have let anyone else take his place if he'd had the chance. This was _his_ job. He could see the dark circle above him, and as he turned the nuke upwards, aiming it towards the hole in the sky, he could hear the arguments ensuing from his actions over the coms. He ignored them. The portal wasn't _that_ far, he couldn't stop now.

 _"Sir, the suit is now at 14% power and falling."_ Tony grimaced.

"Keep going, J." He looked up. Twenty meters left, at most. The suit momentarily slowed down, but then burst suddenly, pushing him the last part of the journey.

* * *

Stars.

They were beautiful things. To many, they were a sign that we might not be alone in the universe. To others, they were just something to look at on a clear night. Right now, they were a guide, so the nuke could reach its final destination. It could destroy the mothership of the Chitauri. Maybe even save the world.

They were a sign that he was still (somehow) alive.

But, he knew, not for long.

He could feel his lungs gasping for air. He could see the sky going black. And as he saw the explosion above him sighed in relief. Thank god his last minute wasn't wasted.

Those final few seconds seemed to last for hours. His body was screaming for oxygen. His muscles were aching. His vision was going.

The stars were the last thing he saw.

The unfamiliar constellations. The foreign galaxies. They were what he concentrated on as his eyes shut, as the pain became too much to bear.

They were the last thing before the darkness.

* * *

Dreams.

Your hopes made real as you slept, your imaginations' creations keeping your mind happy. The pain you felt, as if you lost your entire world, when you waked.

It felt like a dream when he woke up. Or a nightmare, rather. This world was _definitely_ not earth. Tony could tell that much. He lifted the helmet cautiously. He didn't know how he could be breathing. Yet, it couldn't be a dream. Again, he seemed consumed by pain and once more, he was surrounded by stars of a galaxy unknown. He looked around, hoping for anything, just a clue, to indicate where he was.

There was nothing.

But as he sat up, he could see two figures standing no less than thirty feet away. One must have been alien, from what he could see. He was bulkier, taller and obviously much stronger than the average human, and he seemed to be rising from a strange throne.

The other, it couldn't be who Tony thought he was. It was impossible. How long had he been out for? (Better question, how was he here, and alive?)

But there was no one else it _could_ be. No one else wore those beautiful shades of emerald and gold. No one else wore that reindeer-like crown. It had to be Loki, it _had_ to.

The larger man had a staff, seemingly glowing, which he held towards the god. The glow brightened and Loki seemed to tense slightly.

"You disgust me." The booming voice obviously came from the larger one. "You _failed."_

"What?" He seemed half confused at the statement. _At least he wasn't the only one._

"I pushed you, gave you an opportunity." He starting pacing. "Yet even under _his_ control, you failed."

"What did you make me do to them?" Tony's eyes widened. Were they talking about the attack? What the _hell_ did this mean?

"You didn't do anything. You _did_ fail, however, to conquer Earth." So they'd won? But why was Loki so upset about the attack? Didn't _he_ start it? Tony looked at the god, who looked as it he was struggling to stay on his feet. He watched as Loki put his head in his hands, growling slightly.

Hang on, if Loki wasn't responsible for the attack, at least not meaning to start it, who _was?_ Was _he_ being controlled, like Clint was? And if so, who _by?_

He needed some answers.

"Loki?!" Tony almost slapped himself for talking aloud. He looked up, realising his mistake, to see the god staring at him, confused.

"Stark? What are you-?"

Tony stood up, backing away slightly from the two. The larger one seemed furious.

 _"Mortal!"_ Tony retreated from the figure, who was approaching at an inhuman speed, arm outstretched threateningly. "You _dare_ trespass in Thanos' realm?"

He stopped suddenly, as if held back by an invisible force.

"Do not touch him." The voice was deathly, almost silent.

"Loki? What the hell is...?" He stopped, seeing Loki's strained and almost tearful face.

"Leave, Stark, now."

"But...you..."

"Go." At his word, an something like electricity seemed to course through his body and he was consumed by darkness. He couldn't _leave!_ He needed to know what Loki _meant!_

But the world around him started to form again, and above him more he could see the portal he'd somehow travelled back through closing.

Breathing seemed impossible. He felt helpless. Once again, there was a feeling of lost hope and confusion. Once again, he was vulnerable. And once again, for maybe the last time...

He was Falling. 

* * *

_Was that okay? I think it went okay. Please tell me what you thought!_


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